Fear Of Skin Atrophy From Topical Corticosteroids Unfounded.

Fear Of Skin Atrophy From Topical Corticosteroids Unfounded.

WebMD (4/21, Goodman) reported, "Proper use of corticosteroid ointments to treat childhood eczema does not appear to damage or thin skin over time," according to a study in Pediatric Dermatology.

        MedPage Today (4/21, Smith) reported that investigators "studied 70 children with atopic dermatitis or eczema-psoriasis overlap who had used topical corticosteroids for at least three months and whose condition was under 'excellent control.'" In the dermatitis group, investigators rated skin atrophy at three sites treated with topical corticosteroids and an untreated self-control site. The control group was made up of 20 children who had never used corticosteroid ointments but had been referred to the dermatology facility for noninflammatory conditions. The investigators looked at same sites in the control group as in the dermatitis group. "The researchers found: neither investigator observed any atrophy in any of 280 sites from the dermatitis group or 88 sites from the control group; Grade 1 telangiectasia was observed in several patients, all located on the inside of the elbows; but there was no significant difference between the groups;" and "no patient had evidence of striae, atrophic scars, or purpura."

        HealthDay (4/21, Preidt) reported the Pediatric Dermatology study shows "long-term use of topical corticosteroids to treat children with the skin condition known as eczema doesn't cause any major negative side effects." During the study, "all of the children were assessed for signs of corticosteroid-related side effects" and the researchers found that "there were no differences between the children receiving the medication and those in the control group."

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